During the past thirty years, hip-hop has had a profound impact on American culture. It has progressed from a local NYC street phenomenon in the early 1980s to national popularity in the 1990s and has now reached a point of international recognition and appeal. Although the commercial successes of hip-hop are widespread and far-reaching, the street is still the jump-off; where it all begins. This is where the hip-hop organism lives and breathes, develops and constantly evolves. Hip-hop still continues to draw many of its fans, enthusiasts and artists from a base where street credibility is vastly more important than product endorsement or Soundscan record sales. At a time when the main hip-hop magazines seem more concerned with superstardom and bling, The Foundation Magazine seeks to capture the energy of hip-hop at its roots, speaking not of those who have made it, but are making it.

The mixtape phenomenon has become the make-or-break proving ground in the ultra competitive world of hip-hop, where MCs and DJs both battle to prove to fans who the best and the truest really are. The mixtape is an underground phenomenon, produced and marketed under the radar. Even so, it has had a more profound impact on shaping the culture then most other media. This is because of its raw, uncut power, and its ability to introduce the newest artists and the hottest beats at hip-hop’s more organic level: the streets.

Until now, no publication has followed the mixtape phenomenon in a definitive way that incorporates the artists and fans who really shape the culture. This is the void that The Foundation Magazine will fill, serving to fill in the grey area between the unknown and the nationally recognizable, the area where growth and change in hip-hop is constantly happening. It will provide its readers with an in-depth look at what the hottest mixtapes are, who the rising stars are, where this art form has been, and most importantly, where it is headed.

Those of us here at The Foundation Magazine think big. We have big ideas and big dreams. We have a vision for this magazine. Who it will cover and serve, and what purpose it will serve. We will build a relationship with our readers, the artists, and the industry. Like any relationship, there are bumps in the road, ups and downs. But like anything worthwhile, we are going to stick it out, and we hope you will too. We are confident that time will tell, and we are ready to show and prove.